“The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it.” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Six Napoleons; the Adventure of the Crooked Man
Simply put, a newspaper index is a resource that contains articles that can be searched for and viewed by a user. Another term for newspaper indexes is "online periodicals." Certain newspaper indexes archive articles from multiple publications, while others may only contain a single newspaper's history, and others may specialize in a specific type of publication. Newspaper indexes can provide a window into the cultural, scientific, and political settings of the past.
Guide to the Uses of Newspaper Indexes
Many people find Newspaper Indexes important for different kinds of research. Authors can use them to research the time and setting of a novel or to research facts and background for a biography. Scholars of History, English, Sociology, Anthropology...any kind of scholar really, can use newspaper indexes to find information relevant to their area of study. Other examples include genealogists, detectives, and the government employees. For example, a politician can study the past attitudes and political leanings of his or her political riding, or an English student can find early criticism on a work that he or she is discussing in an essay.
Newspaper Indexes provide a source of information, history, and attitudes that are tied to a certain place, a certain group of people, and a certain time. This is useful when researchers need to explore that distinct moment in history. However, there are a few warnings to keep in mind when using newspapers as a source of information:
Newspapers often print errors, and the older the date the more likely there are unresolved errors in the print. Always double check the important details in your research and resolve any discrepancies.
Newspapers can be biased. They are slanted by political leanings, social ideals and customs, and misinformation that was considered true at the time. For example, you may find a 1950’s article recommending smoking for its health benefits.This can be useful if one is studying the society of that time period, but newspapers are not a reliable source for factual information.
Newspaper articles often only provide a brief overview--details are not as important as creating a sensational story--so additional research may be required.
Newspaper Indexes are best used when one needs information about a historical event, person, work of art, place, or a time period. Newspapers offer a unique perspective into a research topic, providing insight into one’s research questions. Newspaper articles will not be helpful when one is looking for detailed and in-depth information.
If you would like to get your hands on a primary source, Library and Archives Canada has a large collection of Canadian high circulation daily newspapers, Canadian ethnic newspapers, Canadian First Nations newspapers, and Canadian student university newspapers. Click here for more information.
Google news has an immense collection of newspapers from the past and present. For recent news, Google provides access to 4,500 English language sources. A simple search will bring up a variety of results from different newspapers, and the user can select which publication and article they are most interested in. There is also an option to personalize results based on geographical region and subject. By default, Google will only search articles from the last 30 days, but a specific date range can be selected by using either the advanced search or search tools. Google’s newspaper archives are also available at http://news.google.com/newspapers/.
The University of Victoria's library website contains a very good resource that collects multiple newspaper indexes into one list. From the main page, click on the “Database” tab, and then under "Other Options" click “Newspapers”. This will bring up a list of 34 newspaper indexes arranged by title, and there is a link to each database. This is a useful resource for students, faculty, and other UVic staff who have access to the Library's resources.
Much like the UVic Newspaper Database, this resource provides a comprehensive list of multiple newspaper indexes available for search. Links to other newspaper archive sources are provided as well as links to indexes for specific archival newspapers. It also provides each newspaper's region of publication, the dates they were in service for, whether the full text can be accessed, and whether there is a charge for the full text.
The newspaper archive lays claim to being the largest newspaper index in the world. It allows the user to search by location, with specificity ranging from country to province/state, to city, by date, or by title. Scans of newspaper articles are presented in pdf format. However, access to most articles is restricted to monthly subscribers.
A pre-curser to the modern Times Colonist, the British Colonist contains scans of local articles dating back to 1858. During this time, it was the most respected and widely read newspaper in B.C. Selecting a specific date using the “Browse by Date” feature will provide access to scans of the full paper that was published on that day in history. Articles can also be accessed using the search tool, which can be refined to specific date ranges and subject matter. This archive contains all issues of the paper from its first publication in 1858 to its final release in 1910.
For this example I will try and find an article talking about the decision by the IOC to allow professional athletes to compete in the Olympic games. Through the UVic Libraries website, I navigate to the newspaper index page where the list of searchable indexes is available.
Then I decide to search using the CBCA Complete index, so I click on the "Connect" link.
From here I enter my first search term: "olympics AND (amateur OR professional)"
TIP: Boolean Search Terms are very important tools in optimizing searches. If you are not sure how to use them make sure to check out this quick tutorial.
I notice that the third result talks about how the Olympics should return to amateur competition and that it was published in 1988, so I determine that the IOC decision to make it open to professional athletes came before 1988. Now I can restrict my search to articles published before December 31st, 1988. I also decide to limit the results to only newspaper articles in the "Source Type" tab.
This adjustment refines the search from 14, 792 results to 870, and the following results are shown:
On the first page alone I find five articles talking about the decision to allow professional athletes to compete in the Olympics. From reading these articles I discover the following:
The first Olympic Games that allowed professional athletes to compete was the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics
The decision was made in part because the role of amateur athlete had become an outdated and irrelevant term
The decision was also influenced by the Soviet's "state athlete" program
Soviet-bloc athletes who had this designation of "state athlete" were generally subsidized by the government, bringing into question whether or not they were truly "amateur athletes".
One thing to note about these results is that all the articles come from the Toronto Star, so clearly the CBCA does not have a comprehensive collection of newspaper publications from which to draw articles. However, it still provided the information that I was looking for, so I leave satisfied.
Newspaper databases have a variety of uses. In order to determine which database is the best one to use, you should ask “What am I trying to accomplish?”
If you are trying to find articles relating to a specific topic or from a specific geographical area, indexes with an advanced search engine will be key.
If you know the exact date of an article you were looking for, then using an index that allows you to browse by date will be the best option.
If what you are looking for is relevant to only a specific population, then finding and searching through the local area newspaper would give the best results. For example, if you want to find a newspaper story from Victoria on the day that Canada became an independent country, the easiest way would be to go to the British Colonist website and browse by date for July 1st, 1867 and download the pdf scans.
If you want to search something more general that cannot be pinpointed to a specific date or geographical region (such as a pre-1980’s article talking about computer technology), then searching a large, comprehensive newspaper index such as Google news or newspaperarchives.com would be the best.
Another important question to consider is whether or not you are willing to pay to see an article. Certain indexes require a monthly subscription or have a pay by page system.
Last, First M. "Article Title." Newspaper Title Date Month Year Published: Page(s). Website Title. Web. Date Month Year Accessed. Examples:
Bowman, Lee. "Bills Target Lake Erie Mussels." The Pittsburgh Press 7 Mar. 1990: A4. Google News Web. 16 Mar. 2010.
Mushnick, Phil. "Sterling Continues to Call it Wrong." New York Post N.p., 23 Apr. 2012. Web. 2 Jan. 2013.
APA
Last, F. M. (Year, Month Date Published). Article title. Newspaper Title, pp. Page(s). Retrieved from URL. Examples:
Bowman, L. (1990, March 7). Bills target Lake Erie mussels. The Pittsburgh Press, p. A4. Retrieved from http://news.google.com.
Meier, B. (2013, January 1). Energy Drinks Promise Edge, but Experts Say Proof Is Scant. New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com.
Chicago Style
Newspaper articles may be cited in the text ("As Bruce Avery noted in the Edmonton Journal Online article on February 9, 2009, ..."), and can be omitted from a bibliography or reference list.
“The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it.”
-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Six Napoleons; the Adventure of the Crooked Man
Table of Contents
What Is A Newspaper Index?
Simply put, a newspaper index is a resource that contains articles that can be searched for and viewed by a user. Another term for newspaper indexes is "online periodicals." Certain newspaper indexes archive articles from multiple publications, while others may only contain a single newspaper's history, and others may specialize in a specific type of publication. Newspaper indexes can provide a window into the cultural, scientific, and political settings of the past.
Guide to the Uses of Newspaper Indexes
Many people find Newspaper Indexes important for different kinds of research. Authors can use them to research the time and setting of a novel or to research facts and background for a biography. Scholars of History, English, Sociology, Anthropology...any kind of scholar really, can use newspaper indexes to find information relevant to their area of study. Other examples include genealogists, detectives, and the government employees. For example, a politician can study the past attitudes and political leanings of his or her political riding, or an English student can find early criticism on a work that he or she is discussing in an essay.
Newspaper Indexes provide a source of information, history, and attitudes that are tied to a certain place, a certain group of people, and a certain time. This is useful when researchers need to explore that distinct moment in history. However, there are a few warnings to keep in mind when using newspapers as a source of information:
Newspaper Indexes are best used when one needs information about a historical event, person, work of art, place, or a time period. Newspapers offer a unique perspective into a research topic, providing insight into one’s research questions. Newspaper articles will not be helpful when one is looking for detailed and in-depth information.
If you would like to get your hands on a primary source, Library and Archives Canada has a large collection of Canadian high circulation daily newspapers, Canadian ethnic newspapers, Canadian First Nations newspapers, and Canadian student university newspapers. Click here for more information.
Back to top
What are the Best Newspaper Indexes?
1. Google News
Google news has an immense collection of newspapers from the past and present. For recent news, Google provides access to 4,500 English language sources. A simple search will bring up a variety of results from different newspapers, and the user can select which publication and article they are most interested in. There is also an option to personalize results based on geographical region and subject. By default, Google will only search articles from the last 30 days, but a specific date range can be selected by using either the advanced search or search tools. Google’s newspaper archives are also available at http://news.google.com/newspapers/.
2. UVic Newspaper Database
The University of Victoria's library website contains a very good resource that collects multiple newspaper indexes into one list. From the main page, click on the “Database” tab, and then under "Other Options" click “Newspapers”. This will bring up a list of 34 newspaper indexes arranged by title, and there is a link to each database. This is a useful resource for students, faculty, and other UVic staff who have access to the Library's resources.
3. Newspaper and Current Periodicals Reading Room
Much like the UVic Newspaper Database, this resource provides a comprehensive list of multiple newspaper indexes available for search. Links to other newspaper archive sources are provided as well as links to indexes for specific archival newspapers. It also provides each newspaper's region of publication, the dates they were in service for, whether the full text can be accessed, and whether there is a charge for the full text.
4. Newspaper Archive
The newspaper archive lays claim to being the largest newspaper index in the world. It allows the user to search by location, with specificity ranging from country to province/state, to city, by date, or by title. Scans of newspaper articles are presented in pdf format. However, access to most articles is restricted to monthly subscribers.
5. The British Colonist
A pre-curser to the modern Times Colonist, the British Colonist contains scans of local articles dating back to 1858. During this time, it was the most respected and widely read newspaper in B.C. Selecting a specific date using the “Browse by Date” feature will provide access to scans of the full paper that was published on that day in history. Articles can also be accessed using the search tool, which can be refined to specific date ranges and subject matter. This archive contains all issues of the paper from its first publication in 1858 to its final release in 1910.
Back to top
A Walkthrough on Searching Newspaper Indexes
For this example I will try and find an article talking about the decision by the IOC to allow professional athletes to compete in the Olympic games. Through the UVic Libraries website, I navigate to the newspaper index page where the list of searchable indexes is available.
Then I decide to search using the CBCA Complete index, so I click on the "Connect" link.
From here I enter my first search term: "olympics AND (amateur OR professional)"
TIP: Boolean Search Terms are very important tools in optimizing searches. If you are not sure how to use them make sure to check out this quick tutorial.
I notice that the third result talks about how the Olympics should return to amateur competition and that it was published in 1988, so I determine that the IOC decision to make it open to professional athletes came before 1988. Now I can restrict my search to articles published before December 31st, 1988. I also decide to limit the results to only newspaper articles in the "Source Type" tab.
This adjustment refines the search from 14, 792 results to 870, and the following results are shown:
On the first page alone I find five articles talking about the decision to allow professional athletes to compete in the Olympics. From reading these articles I discover the following:
One thing to note about these results is that all the articles come from the Toronto Star, so clearly the CBCA does not have a comprehensive collection of newspaper publications from which to draw articles. However, it still provided the information that I was looking for, so I leave satisfied.
Back to top
Which Index Should I Use?
Newspaper databases have a variety of uses. In order to determine which database is the best one to use, you should ask “What am I trying to accomplish?”
Another important question to consider is whether or not you are willing to pay to see an article. Certain indexes require a monthly subscription or have a pay by page system.
Back to top
How Do I Cite Newspaper Articles?
MLA
Last, First M. "Article Title." Newspaper Title Date Month Year Published: Page(s). Website Title. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.Examples:
APA
Last, F. M. (Year, Month Date Published). Article title. Newspaper Title, pp. Page(s). Retrieved from URL.Examples:
Chicago Style
Newspaper articles may be cited in the text ("As Bruce Avery noted in the Edmonton Journal Online article on February 9, 2009, ..."), and can be omitted from a bibliography or reference list.Back to top